Trough conveyer



April 12, 1938.- c. E. PINK TROUGH CONVEYER Filed April 10, 1935 R O T N E V N ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 12, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a conveyer of the trough type in which the belt proper is of the conventional spiral fabric form and in which the flanges are so constructed and arranged that they may be disposed laterally of the fabric and connected therewith to present flat surfaces on the inner faces of the trough flanges in the straight run of the conveyer, thus presenting no pockets or crevices in which small articles being carried may be trapped; to provide a trough conveyer in which positive alignment of the sections constituting the flanges of the conveyer is insured; to provide a conveyer of the kind indicated in which the flange sections function to reinforce the fabric at its edges and in which the tensile stresses are imposed on the flanges so as to relieve the fabric from tensile strain; and generally to provide a trough conveyer that will secure the maximum efficiency in operation, that is simple in construction, and that is susceptible of cheap manufacture.

With this object in View, the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts, of which a preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of a trough conveyer constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view of a modified form of the invention.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 2, but showing the position of the flange sections at the time of passing around the pulley or carrier drum.

Figure 4 is a detailed perspective view of still another modification.

The invention contemplates the use of any of the conventional forms of spiral fabric, of which a closely woven form is illustrated at H) in Figure 1 of the drawing. This spiral fabric constitutes the belt portion of the conveyer, and the latter is troughed by the application of flanges laterally at the side edges. In the form shown in Figure 1, each flange consists of a plurality of relatively movable sections, of which each comprises the plates H and I2 and the tongue iii. The plate II is formed with an inturned flange portion M which is secured to the fabric 40 by an appropriate fastener, such as rivets I5, and may be disposed either against the under side of the fabric, as shown, or on the top side, if the use to which the conveyer is put warrants that form of construction. The plates l l and I2 are assembled in pairs along with the tongue I3, as by rivets l6. Each section of the flange, therefore, consists of the plates H and I2 and the tongue l3, the projecting portion of the tongue of one section entering the slot formed by the spaced plates of the adjacent section. The tongues on the upper edges are rounded, as indicated at ll, so that when the flanges pass around the supporting pulley or drum, the upper edges will follow the general contour of the drum.

The flange sections, while susceptible of relative angular movement in one direction, in a normal plane in which they lie, are precluded from such movement in the other direction. In other words, the abutting edges of succeeding plates in the flange sections limit angular movement of the sections in one direction to alignment of the plates, but, in the other direction, the plates may swing relatively to specified angular positions with respect to each other. The angular positions of the sections, which are necessary to permit the flanges to traverse a pulley or drum, are made possible by. cutting the plates away at their lower edges and on their flange portions, as indicated at l8, so that spaced shoulders are provided on adjacent flange sections which abut in the extreme angular positions of the sections. That portion of the fabric comprehended between the adjacent flange sections I4 constitutes the means on which the flange sections swing in effecting their relative movement.

In order to impose the tensile stresses on the flanges rather than on the fabric I0, the flanges may be made in the form shown in Figures 2 to 4, in which each section of the flange comprises a plate I 9 and connected tongue 20, the tongue being riveted or otherwise secured to the plate as indicated at 2!, but projecting beyond the plate so that it overlaps a companion plate at the line of juncture between the plates. Each of the plates I9 is formed with an arcuate slot 22, and a headed pin 23 on the overlapping tongue passes through the slot in the plate. The slots provide for the necessary relative angular movement of the flange sections, as illustrated in the elevational view in Figure 3, and at the same time provide that the longitudinal belt stresses shall be carried by the flanges. Also, the plan for heading the studs 23 maintains the flange sections in lateral alignment, so that the plates of each section may be brought in edge abutting engagement in the straight runs of the conveyer.

In this form of the invention, it is not necessary that the flange attaching means be of the extent of the attaching flanges M. Accordingly, the attaching means consists of tongues 24 which may be secured on top or underneath of the fabric it (preferably underneath) by means of rivets 25.

Instead of securing the tongues 24 superficially to the fabric, however, the latter may be woven with an elongated spiral 26 at the points where the tongues 24 fall, as shown in Figure 4, and the tongues inserted within the convolutions of these spirals where they may be retained in position by means of rivets 21 or other suitable fasteners.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A trough conveyer comprising a spiral fabric and lateral sectional flanges secured to the fabric, each flange embodying a series of plates arranged in a common plane and in end to end relation, and a tongue secured to each plate and overlapping its line of juncture with the succeeding plate, the tongue having a slidable interlocking connection with such succeeding plate precluding relative lateral movement of adjacent plates throughout the extent of relative angular movement of said plates.

2. A trough conveyer comprising a spiral fabric and lateral sectional flanges secured to the fabric, each flange embodying a series of plates arranged in end to end relation, each plate being formed with a flange portion overlapping and secured to the fabric, and a tongue secured to each plate and overlapping its line of juncture with the succeeding plate, and slidable interlocking connections between the plates and tongues to permit relative angular movement of the plates in the plane in which they lie and impose tensile stresses on the conveyer wholly on the flanges.

3. A trough conveyer comprising a spiral fabric and lateral sectional flanges secured to the fabric, each flange being formed in sections, of which each section consists of spaced plates defining an intervening slot and a tongue, the tongue of one section entering the slot formed by the spaced plates of the adjacent section, the slotdefining plates being co-extensive and the tongue being of substantially the same area as said plates so that it may not be withdrawn from between them when the conveyer is passing around the periphery of a supporting pulley.

4. A trough conveyer comprising a spiral fabric and lateral sectional flanges secured to the fabric, each flange embodying a plurality of relatively movable sections, of which each comprises a plate and an attached tongue, the plates being secured to the fabric in end to end relation and the tongues overlapping the line of juncture between adjacent plates, the tongue of each section having a slot and pin connection with the plate of an adjacent section in which the slot is of arcuate form generated on a radius with the axis of relative movement of adjacent plates as the center.

5. A trough conveyer comprising a spiral fabric and lateral sectional flanges secured to the fabric, each flange embodying a series of plates arranged in end to end relation and provided with means for securing them to the fabric so that they abut the fabric at the edge with their own lower edges below the top face of the fabric, a tongue secured to each plate and overlapping its line of juncture with the succeeding plate, and slidable interlocking connections between the plates and tongues to permit relative angular movement of the plates in the plane in which th y lie and impose tensile stresses on the conveyer wholly on the flanges.

6. A trough conveyer comprising a spiral fabric and lateral sectional flanges secured to the fabric, each flange embodying a series of plates arranged in end to end relation and provided with means for securing them to the fabric so that they abut the fabric at the edge with their own lower edges below the top face of the fabric, a tongue secured to each plate and overlapping its line of juncture with the succeeding plate, and means precluding relative lateral movement of the tongues and plates at all times but permitting relative sliding movement of the same when the conveyer is passing around the periphery of a driving or supporting pulley.

CLARENCE E. PINK. 

